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Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Each recipe is ready in 30 minutes or less to save you time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals. See more posts by Holly
Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
Spaghetti carbonara combines crispy pancetta, parmesan cheese, and a creamy sauce made from simple ingredients you likely have on hand.
The sauce is so rich and creamy and this pasta has lots of flavor.
Carbonara is made with pancetta or bacon—and you likely have the rest of the ingredients on hand.
This recipe is quick enough to make for a weeknight meal.
It’s a simple technique that creates a restaurant-worthy dish at home.
Ingredients for Carbonara
Meat: In Italy, guanciale, which is cured pork jowl or pork cheek, is typically used for pasta carbonara, but it’s hard to find where I live so I use pancetta in place for a smoky salty flavor. If you don’t have pancetta, use bacon in place.
Cheese: While it’s common to use parmesan cheese in North America, traditionally, a spaghetti carbonara recipe is made with pecorino romano cheese. Either works well, I use parmesan as I always have it on hand.
Eggs: Eggs add richness to the sauce and create a creamy (a traditional carbonara sauce does not contain cream). I use whole eggs in this recipe.
Pasta: Any long pasta works well in this recipe; I use spaghetti for a classic spaghetti carbonara.
How to Make Spaghetti Carbonara
Prep Sauce: Whisk eggs, parmesan cheese, & black pepper in a bowl & set aside.
Boil Pasta: Cook pasta until it is ‘al dente’. Do not rinse the pasta.
Toss Together: Quickly add the egg mixture to the hot cooked pasta & toss to combine.
Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little chopped parsley for garnish!
This pasta carbonara recipe has a creamy sauce with an egg base. The heat from the noodles cooks the eggs.
Ensure eggs are at room temperature and whisked before cooking the pasta.
Have all ingredients prepared, the pasta has to be hot to cook the egg. If it’s too hot, the sauce will not have a smooth consistency.
Remove the pan from the heat just before tossing the egg mixture with the hot pasta.
Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
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Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghettini carbonara features pasta in a deliciously creamy parmesan sauce with savory pancetta.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
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In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Set aside.
In a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain well but do not rinse.
Add the hot drained pasta to the skillet with the garlic, and toss to coat.
Remove the skillet from the heat and pour in the egg mixture, mixing well with tongs. If needed, add reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
Add the pancetta or bacon, and toss until combined. Season with additional salt to taste.
Serve hot, garnished with parsley or additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Ensure eggs are at room temperature before beginning.
This dish comes together fast. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
Cook the pasta until it is ‘al dente’ or firm.
Do not rinse the pasta, the starch helps the sauce cling.
Add a bit of pasta water if needed to create a creamy consistency.
Carbonara will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Because of the creamy sauce it is not recommended to freeze.
Dinnertime just got a whole lot easier! With this premade meal plan take the stress out of meal time. Save time and money while being inspired to try new recipes!
Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole is a budget-friendly casserole that’s easy to make.
Layers of spaghetti and cheese are smothered in a savory beefy sauce and baked until brown and bubbly.
Casseroles are an easy way to feed a hungry family!
Million Dollar Spaghetti is a combination of baked spaghetti and lasagna.
It’s is a large and hearty casserole that reheats and freezes well for future meals.
While the ingredients are simple this meal is delicious, everyone raves about it.
Ingredients in Million Dollar Spaghetti
Meat: I like using Italian sausage as it has lots of flavor, but in a pinch, you can substitute ground beef or ground turkey. If substituting the sausage, I would recommend adding extra seasoning to the sauce.
Sauce: This recipe uses pasta sauce as the base to keep it quick and easy. You can use homemade marinara sauce or your favorite jar of sauce. Feel free to stir in fresh herbs if you’d like!
Cheese: The cheese layer is made with either cottage cheese or ricotta cheese. I prefer cottage cheese because I think it adds so much creaminess to the recipe.
Pasta: We most often make this with spaghetti but other types of pasta can be used. Try ziti or rigatoni noodles.
Serving Suggestions
Million dollar spaghetti is a hearty casserole that is a complete meal on its own. You can pair it with garlic bread and a fresh salad if you’d like.
Leftovers and Prep Ahead
The leftovers of this casserole reheat well! The pasta softens up a bit when reheating, but the flavor is just as good as when it was fresh out of the oven.
Prep Ahead: Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking and add an additional 15 minutes to the baking time.
Freezing: To freeze the casserole, wrap it in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
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Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
Loaded with layers of spaghetti, cheese, zesty sauce, and Italian sausage, this is an easy hearty casserole that’s budget-friendly and perfect for a crowd.
Prep Time 40 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour25 minutesminutes
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain well and return the pasta to the original pot. Add 24 oz of prepared spaghetti sauce and toss to combine. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning to skillet, and cook until no pink remains. Drain excess fat. Add the remaining 24 oz of spaghetti sauce to skillet. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Set aside.
Place half the slices of butter (if using) in a 9×13 baking dish. Spread half of the spaghetti in the dish, then top with the cheese mixture. Spread the remaining spaghetti over the cheese mixture. Top with the remaining butter slices (if using). Pour tomato meat sauce evenly over top.
Top with remaining mozzarella and bake uncovered in the preheated oven until the casserole is heated through, about 35-45 minutes.
Rest 15 minutes before serving.
If replacing the sausage for ground beef or turkey, add additional seasoning to the sauce. For a little kick, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. This casserole can be prepared 24 hours in advance. If made ahead of time, let set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking. Add 15 minutes to the baking time. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Why choose between tacos and spaghetti when you can have both!
Zesty taco meat and peppers are cooked with spaghetti in a zesty sauce in just one pot!
Serve casserole-style with sides of sliced black olives, extra shredded cheese, sliced green onions, green chiles, and some sour cream or salsa!
An Easy One Pot Meal
This easy casserole style recipe needs just one pot – less mess and less effort.
It’s versatile – perfect for adding extra veggies, mix-ins, and toppings.
Ingredients for Taco Spaghetti
Meat – I use lean ground beef (80/20) in this recipe but ground turkey can be used in place.
Pasta – This recipe uses spaghetti noodles – if you change the pasta, you may need to add a little more or less broth.
Sauce – Choose your favorite flavor of salsa (hot or mild) or use a can of Rotel tomatoes. Chicken broth (or beef broth) adds flavor and salt while the starch from the spaghetti thickens the sauce.
Variations – Besides bell peppers, this recipe is perfect for sneaking in healthy veggies like shredded zucchini or carrots, corn, chopped kale, or chopped mushrooms.
How to Make Taco Spaghetti
This one-pot dish goes from the stovetop to the table in minutes!
Cook ground beef and onion. Drain any fat.
Add bell pepper, broth, milk, and salsa.
Bring sauce to a boil and add spaghetti. Cover and cook (per recipe below).
Stir in cheese. Season if desired and serve.
A packet of taco seasoning makes this quick and easy, but if time allows, you can make your own homemade taco seasoning.
Topping Inspiration
Creamy: guacamole, sour cream, extra shredded cheddar cheese
Flavor Boosters: sliced black olives, sliced green onion
Keep leftover taco spaghetti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little milk, if needed.
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Taco Spaghetti
This taco spaghetti recipe is easy to make and cooks up in just one pot!
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Rest Time 5 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
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In a 12-inch skillet, cook the ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until no pink remains while breaking up with a spoon. Drain any fat. Add the taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the broth, milk, salsa, and bell pepper.
Bring to a boil, add the spaghetti and cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until the spaghetti is tender.
Remove from the heat and let rest uncovered for 5 minutes.
Add the cheese and stir until melted. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper or salsa if desired.
Remove from the heat before adding cheese.
The sauce will thicken as it rests.
Salsa can be replaced with 1 can of original Rotel tomatoes, drained.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Someone sent us a social media post about Miss Pasta, a newish restaurant with a unique concept from chef Giuliano Matarese, formerly at Mille Lire: Fresh house-made pasta with regional sauces made from scratch served in a fast-casual manner. They had us at pasta, of course, so we ventured out for a high-carb lunch recently…
Prepping it is easy and even more so if you make it with rotisserie chicken or leftover Oven Baked Chicken Breasts!
Ingredients for Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken– I usually make this chicken spaghetti recipe with rotisserie chicken since it’s easy – simply shred two cups. If using raw chicken breasts, either poach or bake and then shred it. You can also make a big batch of crock pot shredded chicken to keep in the freezer.
Spaghetti –Use any long pasta you have on hand. Cook it al dente (which means firm) as it will cook more in the oven as the spaghetti bakes.
Sauce – I love the from-scratch version of the sauce for this recipe but, if you’re in a rush, I’ve included a shortcut version too. Green or red peppers add flavor while cream cheese helps thicken the sauce. Use a sharp cheddar for the best flavor.
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti
This is an easy chicken spaghetti recipe:
Boil the spaghetti until al dente
Prepare the cream sauce (per the recipe below) and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat and add in the cheese.
Combine the pasta, chicken, and diced tomatoes and in a greased casserole dish.
Top with more cheese and bake until bubbly!
Allow the baked chicken spaghetti to rest for five minutes to help the sauce thicken.
Short Cut Chicken Spaghetti Sauce
Short on time? Make a Short Cut Chicken Spaghetti Recipe! Try it with canned cream of mushroom soup, and a can or two of Rotel tomatoes instead – be sure to buy the Rotel without lime added!
Here’s a quick and easy shortcut sauce for chicken spaghetti:
Sautee the bell pepper and onion in butter until tender.
Stir in ¾ pound diced processed cheese (like Velveeta cheese) and one can of cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup). Heat until melted and creamy.
Season with ½ teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper if you’d like. I skip the salt, as the cheese and condensed soup have enough for my liking.
Continue as directed in the recipe by adding diced tomatoes and shredded or bite-size pieces of chicken.
What to Serve With Spaghetti Casserole
Baked chicken spaghetti is rich and filling so it doesn’t need much on the side. Serve up the same favorites you serve with lasagna like a fresh salad and some and some dinner rolls, biscuits, or garlic bread.
Leftovers & Meal Prep
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Chicken spaghetti freezes very well and can be frozen before baking for up to four months.
To bake from frozen, cover with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese topping from overcooking and bake at 375°F for about an hour, or until it is piping hot throughout! Be careful as most glass dishes cannot go from freezer to oven)
If preparing ahead of time and freezing, line your baking dish with parchment paper. Once frozen, lift the casserole from the baking dish, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze. You can use your your casserole dish in the meantime and pop the chicken spaghetti bake into the dish when you’re ready to bake it.
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Homemade Chicken Spaghetti
This easy cheesy Chicken Spaghetti casserole combines tender chicken and spaghetti in a homemade cheese sauce!
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the spaghetti al dente in salted water according to package directions. Drain well, do not rinse.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper can cook until tender. Stir in the flour and Italian seasoning and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Gradually add the broth and cream, a bit at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition. Bring to a boil and let boil 1 minute or until thick and bubbly.
Remove from heat and whisk in parmesan cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper.
Combine spaghetti, chicken, cream sauce, and canned tomatoes. Mix well. Spread in a greased 9×13 dish.
Top with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Don’t overcook the pasta, it’ll cook more as it bakes.
Pre-shredded cheese does work in this recipe but shredding your own makes for a smoother sauce.
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The classic Italian dish that is spaghetti has given birth to so many renditions around the world. And we, Filipinos, definitely have our own way of making this pasta favorite too. What is it exactly about the Pinoy version of this dish that makes it so appealing? And how can we replicate the joy we get from ordering this pasta dish in Filipino eating joints at home? I have the answers to those questions in this article about my own Filipino Spaghetti recipe!
What is Filipino Spaghetti?
Most people are familiar with the Italian original made with the richness of tomatoes, onions, and of course, the thick spaghetti noodle. But have you ever thought of tossing in some hotdogs? And what about integrating some sweetness into the dish? That’s how you can think like a Filipino cook!
Filipino Spaghetti is essentially the famous pasta dish but with a sweet twist. That’s where our Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce comes in. This is normally made with the uniquely delicious banana ketchup along with some brown sugar. Because of how popular this sauce is though, you can easily buy it pre-packaged and made in most grocery stores in the Philippines.
And like I mentioned earlier, we have a distinct meat component to add some texture to the dish. Hotdogs go well with the sweetness of our sauce, and collaborates nicely with our noodles and ground pork. Another factor that might shock you is liver spread. This gives us a bit of spiciness to truly make the dish stand out. How about we try cooking this up?
How to Make Filipino Spaghetti
1. Cooking the noodles
You will want to get 1 lb. of spaghetti. Just get your pot and some water, and cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packaging. Take note that you also want the noodles al dente or nice and firm. After you have cooked up your noodles, you should drain the water, and put your spaghetti in a bowl. Put a cover on top, and set this aside for now.
2. Preparing the meat
Put 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan. Toss in 1 yellow onion you’ve minced, alongside 3 cloves of garlic you’ve also minced. Sauté these together until the pieces of onion soften. Then put your 1 lb. of ground pork inside, and cook this until it becomes light brown. Afterwards, add 12 hotdogs you’ve sliced up. Keep sautéing everything together for just 30 seconds.
3. Starting the sauce
Place 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, and cook your mixture for 1 minute. Then pour 35 ounces of Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce inside along with 1 cup of water. Go ahead, and stir everything together until the sauce gets smooth. Put the cover on top of pan, and wait for the mixture to boil.
4. Adding more seasonings
Let’s throw in 1 Knorr Pork Cube for a boost of flavor. Now cook this for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the sauce thickens enough. Also integrate 3 tablespoons of liver spread, and as much salt and ground black pepper as you would prefer.
5. Putting the noodles and sauce together
Of course, we can’t forget about the spaghetti we cooked earlier. Put this in the pan, and toss until it is coated entirely with the delicious red sauce. Top this all off with shredded cheddar cheese. And then you can just place your delicious Filipino Spaghetti on a serving plate!
I hope you liked recreating my Filipino Spaghetti recipe. As you may already be able to tell, this is something that can easily fill you up as it is a pasta dish. But if you are preparing this for guests, or are simply looking for more food to spruce up your meal, there are a bunch of great options you could go for.
If you’re comfortable with a bit of a challenge, you could whip up three more dishes that I would recommend making. Below are some recipes that complement our Filipino Spaghetti perfectly.
The classic fried chicken dish actually goes perfectly with most spaghetti dishes. But if you want to take it up a notch, I suggest trying out this Butter Garlic Whole Fried Chicken. The name alone already gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of savor and satisfying flavor you will get from this dish. The delightful, buttery taste of the chicken is truly something you cannot miss. It is not too salty either, but the perfect savory taste is sure to match the sweetness of our spaghetti well. Another perk to this recipe is its cooking time. You need less than an hour to make this, and it can already serve a group of 4 perfectly!
Are seafood dishes more your cup of tea? That’s no problem as you could easily replace your fried chicken with fried squid! Calamares is the next recipe I am suggesting to have with your pasta. This is deliciously crunchy, and has just the right amount of saltiness. It works fantastic beside our spaghetti because you will usually dip calamares in a tomato-based sauce. Other options for dips are a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise, toyomansi, and spiced vinegar. Should you be looking to cut down your prep time, you could always buy packaged squid rings at the market. This way, you will no longer need to slice up your fresh squid.
What’s pasta without a beautiful salad as a side? My Easy Chicken Caesar Salad is definitely a go-to recipe because it is something you can make quickly. But it has everything you would want in a great salad dish. That includes a lot of bright leafy greens, some parmesan cheese, Caesar salad dressing, and of course, some croutons for a delightful crisp! Our chicken breast is also a great way of integrating some protein into the meal. I love this recipe because it really is a simple way to make your meal a lot healthier. Just make sure that you do not overcook the chicken by keeping close watch over it as you are grilling.
It’s inevitable for us to end up with leftovers after a gathering though. Should you be wondering how to keep your spaghetti good for eating, here are some of my tips!
Storing your Filipino Spaghetti
One thing we need to watch out for when it comes to storing cooked food is mold. Since we want to avoid this, the first thing we need to do is put the pasta dish in an airtight container. Afterwards, you can just place this in the refrigerator. We can expect this to last for about 5 days before it becomes unsafe for eating. However, it is best to check every once in a while if your spaghetti has begun to spoil.
A telltale sign is discoloration. And so when you notice that your pasta is becoming gray is white, it may be time to throw it out. Also take a whiff before you reheat or cook up the spaghetti again to make sure there is no strange smell from spoilage. Another thing to take note of is the texture of the pasta. If it is slimy, that may be a sign of mold. Don’t take the risk of eating this, and just dispose of the spaghetti if it shows any of these signs.
But that’s enough talking about what to avoid in the kitchen. There are plenty more kinds of spaghetti recipes you could make. And so if you are interested in cooking up more spaghetti dishes, I’ve got you covered!
Do you love the sweet twist we get in Filipino Spaghetti? You can have more of that by recreating my recipe for Baked Spaghetti! If you want an idea of the taste of this, just imagine that this is like putting together baked macaroni and Filipino Spaghetti. And so for this dish, you get a lot more cheesiness, and it is really easy to make because you will just let the oven do the cooking!
You can cut down on a lot of your usual spaghetti ingredients to end up with something that could be a whole lot more refreshing and healthy! My Fresh Basil And Sun Dried Tomato Spaghetti Pasta is savory and delicious as a result of a few ingredients. We need just seven different components for this, and that includes grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. But these work wonders in providing flavor to our spaghetti.
Some people are scared to work with pasta because they think this involves a long and complicated cooking process. But as we can see with this recipe, that isn’t always the case. You can make this One Pot Spaghetti conveniently, saving up on both time and water because you will not have to wash too many dishes. As the name implies, you will need just one pot to cook this in. And the recipe makes a truly satisfying and hearty spaghetti dish with mushroom, bell peppers, cream cheese and more distinctly delicious components. And this works well for those on the go, but want something filling and nutritious for lunch. 30 minutes is all it takes to get this on a plate! And you can use this for meal prep as well because it makes 4 servings.
Share your thoughts on this Filipino Spaghetti recipe by commenting below! And feel free to explore more Panlasang Pinoy dishes by scrolling through the website. There are plenty other pasta recipes that may catch your attention like this Filipino Spaghetti.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!
Filipino Spaghetti Recipe
Prep: 10 minutesminutes
Cook: 45 minutesminutes
Instructions
Cook the Spaghetti noodles (al dente) according to package instructions. Once cooked, Drain the water, and then transfer the spaghetti to a bowl. Cover it and set aside.
Heat the oil in a Pan. Sauté the onion and garlic.
Once the onions soften, add the ground pork. Cook until the color turns light brown.
Add the hotdog. Continue sautéing for 30 seconds.
Add the flour. Continue cooking for 1 minute.
Pour-in the Spaghetti sauce and water into the pan. Stir continuously until the texture of the sauce smoothens. Cover the pan. Let it boil.
Add Knorr Pork Cube. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until the sauce gets thick enough.
Add the liver spread and season with salt and ground black pepper as needed.
Add the cooked spaghetti into the pan. Toss until it completely gets coated with the sauce.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve. Share and enjoy!